UConn adds St. Mary's star Aidan Mahaney

UConn made a big splash in the transfer portal Monday, adding St. Mary's guard and two-time All-WCC first-team selection Aidan Mahaney.

Mahaney chose the two-time defending national champs over Kentucky, Creighton, and Virginia.

"I chose UConn because I want to compete for national championships," Mahaney told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Jonathan Givony. "UConn is a place that keeps the main thing the main thing. The coaching staff has proven themselves to be the best in the country the last two years."

Mahaney was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. The 6-foot-3 guard made an immediate impact for the Gaels, earning WCC All-Freshman team honors as he led the program to the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, where they fell to the Huskies.

Mahaney averaged 13.9 points and shot 37.5% from deep over two seasons with Saint Mary's. His outside shooting will help offset the loss of Cam Spencer, Tristen Newton, and potentially Alex Karaban.

UConn also added top-10 recruit and former Indiana commit Liam McNeeley over the weekend, while former Michigan big man Tarris Reed Jr. joined the Huskies earlier in the offseason.

"The coaching staff doesn't rebuild at UConn, they reload," Mahaney told Borzello and Givony. "There is no tip-toeing around the fact that the program is going for it all again, and I am ready to be a part of that journey towards continued greatness.

"One game at a time, obviously, but the goals at UConn are set the moment you walk into the facilities: national champs."